USDA Warms Up to Cultivated Foods, OKs Cell-Based Poultry Plan

November 18, 2022--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In a major step forward for the alternative foods movement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed with Upside Foods (Berkeley, California) that the startup company's cultivated chicken is safe to eat. This marks the FDA's first completed pre-market consultation for a human food made from cultured animal cells, which avoids the killing of live animals for food production.

Industrial Info is tracking more than US$1 billion worth of cell-based meat, poultry and seafood projects in the U.S., and a few more globally. Upside's cell-based poultry production plant in Emeryville, California, is unlikely to begin construction before early 2024, if the final investment decision is favorable. But executives at the startup were nothing but optimistic, following what they called "a rigorous evaluation" by the FDA.

Other projects under development globally include those from major companies and startups like Eat JUST Incorporated, Future Meat Technologies, Steakholder Foods (NASDAQ:STKH) and JBS S.A..